Retro Wrench succeeds in lower-end vintage repair, customization

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s more or less proof of concept when you open a motorcycle shop and get overwhelmed with business, even though you have just a small website and no advertising.

That’s what happened for Retro Wrench, which opened six months ago to offer affordable repair and customization for lower-end vintage motorcycles — a niche that, up to that point, hadn’t been filled in Louisville, owners Brad White and Donny Greene said.

“People were working on motorcycles that rich people own,” White told the Courier-Journal. “What we’re doing is catering to the middle — your dad had a Triumph in his garage for ages and he’s not going to do anything with it.”

The shop has five part-time mechanics including the owners. All of them still have day jobs and were surprised with the market response: they’ve had to stop taking on new work until they clear a six-week backlog. The shop does everything from maintenance and repairs to full custom builds on whatever the customer has around.

White has a background in motocross and fine arts. A sculptor, he has curated shows of motorcycle-themed art in Kentucky and for the American Motorcyclist Association’s Vintage Days in Lexington, Ohio.